Exercise has many health benefits. It can help you lose weight, reduce blood sugar to safe levels, improve insulin sensitivity, and protect the heart. When you exercise, your body uses glucose found in your liver, muscles, and blood causing your blood sugar to decrease. Once your blood sugar drops too low, it can cause you to be light-headed and dizzy. Having too low blood sugar is extremely dangerous. It is important to take action to prevent your blood sugar from dropping too low while exercising.
Step 1
Check your blood sugar before, during, and after exercise. If you have diabetes, it is important to know how exercise is affecting your blood sugar.
Step 2
Eat a light snack before exercising that contains carbohydrates, such as an apple or banana. Don't eat anything too heavy as it may make you sick while exercising.
Step 3
Bring a quick-acting form of sugar with you in case you start to feel light-headed from exercising, such as glucose tablets that can be found at your local drugstore.
Step 4
Talk with your doctor to adjust your medications. You may need to reduce the amount of insulin or oral diabetic medication on the days you plan to workout.
Step 5
Avoid alcohol and medications like beta-blockers before exercising as they may increase risk of low blood sugar.
Step 6
Spread your workout throughout the day so you're not exercising for too long at one time. The longer you workout at one time, the more likely your blood sugar is going to drop.
